A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to messaging systems, and more particularly to a system and method for accessing, displaying, and organizing different message types, such as voice, telephone, and facsimile messages.
B. Description of the Prior Art
Our homes and offices now not only have voice mail capable telephones but also have computers capable of receiving email messages and facsimile messages. Traditionally, messages on each of these devices are stored on a separate messaging system. For example, email messages may be stored on an email server, which can be accessed using an email access program on a computer. Similarly, a home or office telephone user may retrieve voice mail messages stored at a central location or on the local answering machine. Finally, a user may also retrieve facsimile messages stored on a fax server using a computer terminal or a facsimile machine.
Also, traditionally these messages are displayed on a terminal where a user may manipulate these messages using a graphic user interface associated with the respective messaging system. For example, a typical email client on a user's computer lets the user access and manipulate email messages stored on the email server. Similarly, a computer program with a corresponding user interface may permit a user to access and manipulate voice or facsimile messages located on a remote server.
While the ability to receive messages from a multiplicity of messaging devices is convenient, in that users can be reached through the various messaging devices, the users have to check each one of the messaging devices to receive their messages. They also have to remember and learn different commands or icons that implement the same functionality on different messaging devices. Similarly, users have to use a differently arranged user interface when accessing their voice mail from a computer terminal as opposed to a telephone via the public telephone network. The need to access different devices and learn different user interfaces causes waste of time and errors on the part of the users while they access their messages.
Some messaging systems may permit a user to receive messages of a different type—voice, email, facsimile—using a single user interface. Thus, a user may be able to access messages of all types from a single computer terminal using a single interface. Such messaging systems conventionally list all messages, regardless of the message type, chronologically.
Studies show, however, that users commit more errors when accessing messages that are arranged chronologically, than when accessing messages that are arranged by message type. This is, perhaps, because the user interface that displays messages of all types concurrently presents a very cluttered view and contributes to errors.
Also, other studies have shown that a particular user may perceive one message type as more important than other message types depending on whether the user is at her home office or at work office. For example, facsimile messages may be more important to a user when the user is at her work office than when the user is at her home office.
In addition these studies have also shown that different types of users—home users, large corporate users, or small business users—may rely on messages of one particular message type more than the other message types. For example, small business and home users may rely more on voice mail messages than on email messages. On the other hand, large corporate users may rely more on email messages than on voice mail messages.
Finally, some users may perceive voice mail messages as more important than email messages or facsimile messages. Similarly, some users may prefer to receive short messages through voice mail and longer messages through email. None of the prior art messaging systems permit users to access and manipulate different types of messages, including voice mail messages, facsimile messages, and email messages using a single user interface that clearly identifies each message by its type and also permits the user to list only messages of one type that correspond to a selected icon.
As a result, a need exists for a system that enables a user to access and retrieve a variety of messages, including voice mail messages, facsimiles, and electronic mail messages via a unified user interface that clearly distinguishes each message type using message identifiers, and segregates messages by type.